'Pokémon' is finally getting a console release, but don't get your expectations up too high

The Pokémon developers are feeling the pressure around their upcoming Nintendo Switch game, the first time a main Pokémon RPG is coming to consoles.

In an interview with Game Informer, developer Game Freak's Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori acknowledged the pressure they're feeling from Pokémon fans and discussed what it's like to work under those high expectations.

"We can definitely see that expectations are very high and right now the pressure is on to answer those expectations," Masuda said in reference to fan response after the Pokémon Switch game was announced at E3 in June.

"Seeing the fan's reaction, all the excitement for the announcement -- it definitely is really fun to see that," Ohmori said. "But at the same time it is definitely a lot of pressure."

Ohmori said Game Freak is going to do its best to create a game that lives up to those expectations.

"Of course, it is very difficult to make the game," Masuda noted. "So I hope people don't get their expectations up too high."

Pokémon fans around the world have only ever experienced the main RPG series on handheld devices, starting with Pokémon Red and Blue versions in the late-'90s for the Game Boy. Since then, four Nintendo home consoles have come and gone without any hint at receiving an installment from the main Pokémon series (no, Pokémon Snap!, Pokémon Stadium, and Pokkén Tournament don't count).

The Switch's versatility as both a home and handheld console make it a nice transition for the Pokémon series, but with fans clamoring for a game on home consoles for roughly two decades, it's not unreasonable for the developers to feel like they have a lot of hype to live up to.